The picnic
by geekchic79
Summary: Hanschen/Ernst two shot, a picnic down by the river leads to some interesting revelations
1. Hanschen

"Ernst."

No reply, your body's still lying stretched out amidst the long grass

"Ernst."

The sun soaked day is drawing to a close, we spent the last four hours by the stream but now you've fallen asleep.

"hmmnerugh" you mumble something indiscriminate through your dreams, I kick you hard with my foot.

"Ow!"

"Oh I'm sorry Ernst _dearest _did I wake you?"

"Why did you just kick me?"

"To wake you up."

"I've only been sleeping for about ten minutes-"

"Well surely that's more time than you could possibly bear to spend away from me?"

"Well I-"

I cut your protest short with a kiss, "you know you're cute when you're angry,"

You blush and look at the floor, your dark hair falling across your face, those dark eyes flick upwards to meet mine again, you plant a soft kiss where my jaw line meets my neck.

"Have some more cake" I reach into my mother's picnic basket, and using two fingers scoop a dollop of frosting from the top layer of the pink cake.

"I think I'll burst" you laugh

"Come on," I use one finger from my other hand to delicately lift a smudge of icing, and you softly lick the icing off, "See," I smile wickedly and before you know it I've taken a whole handful of cake, and smudged it round your mouth,

"Hey!" you protest, flicking a few crumbs at me

"That's it," I growl, getting up, you start to laugh and run down the river bank as I chase you, heart pounding I pull you to the ground, surrounded by the long grass, landing on top of you, I kiss you roughly the taste of icing ringing metallic in my mouth. I pull away just enough to look into your eyes, "So Ernst," I say suggestively, "how do you suggest we spend the next few hours, alone, now all the cake's gone?"

You sigh, "The others will be here soon,"

"They will?"

You smile, "You know they will, Melchior's building a raft, and wherever Melchior goes, the girls go."

"Jealous?" I smirk

You shake your head shyly, eyes still fixed on mine, "I wish we didn't have to hide from everyone."

"Listen," I say, "I've been thinking, I-" what's wrong with me? I don't stutter, I'm not you, "I've-" this is ridiculous, but I want you to say yes, "I've written it all down, a plan, read it and tell me what you think" I had you the folded scrap of paper, you turn it over in your pale hands and start to read.

"What's that?" Thea, accompanied by most of the girls and boys from our village school has suddenly appeared on the other side of the river bank.

You snatch the piece of paper into your blazer pocket "Nothing."

Thea tip toes across a log that forms a rickety bridge from one side of the stream to the other, thrusting out a demanding hand, "you hid something in your blazer pocket. Show it to me."

"I don't have anything," you reply softly, but your hand goes to your pocket.

"Show it to me." Thea repeats, her eyes gleaming with mischief, she knows she's onto something. The other children have stopped their games and are starting to drift across to our side of the stream; you stay by the water's edge, letting the current of the stream wash over your feet, your raven black head bent close to the dark pool.

"Show us Ernst!" Anna giggles

"Anna, I really don't see what you could possibly think Ernst here is hiding," I say, standing up to face her, "Thea why don't you go back to watching _darling_ Melchior build rafts."

"Just let her see it Hanschen," Melchior smiles, "she's never going to let you alone if you don't"

"There's nothing to see."

"Hanschen! Just let me see!" Thea grabs my wrist playfully but I pull away

"Its not for you!" you blurt out.

"Ah!" Melchior laughs, that familiar twinkle in his eyes, "So you are hiding something."

"Maybe some secret plot against our pirate gang that you two are making in all that time you spend together," Moritz jokes

Otto and Georg pin you down, and in a second Thea's grabbed the note from your pocket and is holding it aloft for the world to see,

"Give it back!" you struggle under Otto's grip

"Dear Ernst," Thea begins in a mock important voice.

You draw back against the tree trunk, Wendla and Melchior rush forwards to make sure you're not hurt. You're body is shaken but your eyes remain dark and steady, like always. Sometimes I wish I knew what went on inside that head of yours.


	2. Ernst

"Dear Ernst" Thea begins in a mock important voice.

I draw back against the tree trunk, Wendla and Melchior rush forwards, Wendla placing a comforting arm around my shoulders, I can't stop shaking but then my eyes meet yours across the clearing, I find some reassurance. Otto and Geog, still set in their pirate games, keep my wrists in a firm grip. I start to wonder what you wrote, but then I realise I'm about to find out- gosh this can't be good, your thoughts are never exactly pure, even when they're written down on paper-

The other children are waiting with baited breath, ready for the spectacle, Thea smiles and looks round, enjoying the attention. She clears her throat,

"I've been thinking about this for some time now," Thea turns to you to raise one eyebrow, your face is expressionless, breathing heavy,

Thea continues "And now I know that this is what I want,"

"Stop it" your voice is low,

This is strange, usually you wouldn't care what the others thought, the girls are too scared of you and the boys have got too much sense to tell anyone about us if they knew, at least, that's what we led ourselves to believe.

"Ernst!" Thea gushes, clasping the letter to her chest and fluttering her eyelashes, the other children giggle hysterically, Thea plays to her audience "run away with me!"

I catch my breath, Wendla turns to look at me, curious, I desperately try to make eye contact but you won't look at me, your gaze is fixed upon the floor. I wrench my body forwards but Georg's to strong; I stay pinned to the tree. Thea waltzes up to you, teasing you; she whispers the next few words:

I'm sick of hiding-"

"STOP IT!" you scream, and for a millisecond the mask is ripped away, you lose your composure and lunge for the letter, Thea dodges, frightened.

"Hanschen calm down, what's the problem?" Melchior has placed a hand on your arm, but you break away, Thea's frightened giggle is echoed by the other children, she bolts along the river bank, clambering up the nearest tree, gasping out the final part of the letter between breaths:

"We should leave tonight,"

She reaches the top branch, too delicate to support your muscular frame; you stand there, the late afternoon sun throwing your now pale face into view, different to how I've ever seen you, helpless, smaller somehow. I try to go to you but Wendla grabs my arm, holding me back.

It's strange, watching you from a distance, usually we're so close and too often I've found my so self lost in your thoughts, so completely absorbed by you, that I've never really noticed how you stand, shoulders tense, head cocked slightly to one side, but its just another thing I think I love about you-

Thea flourishes the letter, ready for her big finish, then her eyes widen,

"I love you?"

You flinch, I struggle against Wendla's grip, Thea starts to giggle

The other boys and girls are all looking your way,

"I love you?!"

Melchior looks up at you, "Hanschen?" He enquires, "What's going on?"

But its too much for you, you turn and run, out of the forest away from the other children, I tear myself from Georg's grip and follow,

"Hanschen?" I call,

It's nearly dusk and it's getting hard to see, after a beautiful sunny day, the rain comes pouring down, and after two hours of searching, I give up and go home, only to find you slumped, back against the wall, round the back of our old, austere farmhouse.

You turn to me wordlessly, and plant a small kiss on my cheek; the rain is heavier now and your face is pale. I'm not used to seeing you like this.

You turn those large brown eyes on mine. You start to speak, "I wanted it to be a surprise-" your voice catches and in that instant I see it, the months of trying to pretend everything was ok, of upholding that sadistic charisma, the power, the confidence, when underneath it all we were both felt like we were falling. What if you hit the ground running even more than I did?

"I just wanted to leave this godforsaken place." You sigh, "And now it looks like we have to," you cast a bitter glance back in the direction of the forest,

"You don't know that-"

"I don't care."

You reach a hand to stroke my cheek, the rain hammers down harder, I can't help leaning into your touch, even though your hand is frozen with the icy water, "I can't think" you blurt out, "and now this bloody rain," you glance up at the dark sky, "why can't someone make it stop?"

I move into your body, I close my eyes and breath, "we should leave"

"When?"

"Tonight,"

For once its you asking the questions, and that's ok, we're going to be ok, wherever we go, because we'll be together.

"Where will we go?"

"Anywhere-"

There's a raindrop running down your cheek almost like a tear, you know I'd stop the rain just to hear you breathing.

A/N: so there you go :) not really sure where the idea for that one came from, but I hope you enjoyed it. Even though it's not my best this fic is totally dedicated to Spring Awakening London, no way does it deserve to close

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